Improvement in tobacco-driers



2 sh eets She et 2.

T.1B. LYON, 1r.v Tobacco Briers.

No.l 55,6 19. Patented Oct. ,1s74..

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron.

THOMAS B. LYON, JR, or ORANGE, NORTH CAROLINA.

IMPROVEM ENT IN TOBACCO-DRIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 155,619, dated October6,1874; application filed August 29,1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS B. LYON, J r., of Orange, Orange county,North Carolina, have invented certain newand useful Improvements inProcesses for Treating Tobacco, of which the following is aspecification, reference being had to the accompanying drawplaceddirectly under'and parallel to the ventilators aforesaid. The flues areall supplied with dampers. The ends of the drums last above mentionedare of larger dimensions than the other two, and are connected by pipeswith the exit smoke-pipe leading from the chamber. By this arrangementthe heat is gradually and evenly disseminated through the chamber; it isconfined partially in the drums at regular intervals and thus equalizedit can be confined to any one drum to heat the adjacent parts of thechamber; the noxious vapor resulting from the drying is carried offimmediately, preventing the possibility of its impregnating the leaves;and the operation can be inspected without admitting cold air, andthereby damaging the leaf. The object of the invention is to curetobacco thoroughly in a yellow color, and by means of an evenlydisseminated and equalized heat, operating -in conjunction withventilators arranged to speedily carry off the noxious vapors, thusimproving the value of the product, as well as developing the naturalaroma of the leaf, and thus obviating the use of flavoring-substances inits manufacture.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a device embodying certain of the elements ofthe invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of a device embodyin g theelements of the invention, showing the relative positions of the furnaceand ventila= tors. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end opposite that'above shown. Fig. 4 is a vertical longitudinal section through the linez2, Fig. 3.

A, in the accompanying drawings, is an airtight chamber, provided withthe windows B, which are set in the walls of the chamber in an air-tightmanner. D is the upper part of the chamber, and is secured to the part Ain an air-tight manner, although the parts A and D may readily be madeas one I chamber. The upper part Dof the chamber is arched or pitched,as in the present instance, and provided with the exit=pipes orventilators E, having the cowls F to prevent the ingress of rain. Thetobacco to be cured is placed in the part D, preferably being hung inbunches of the usual form, with the tips of the leaves downward.Directly under and in line with the ventilators E is placed the furnaceH, extending through the side of the chamber A, and there provided withthe door I. On the inside of the chamber it extends a suitable distancetoward the side opposite that adjacent to which the door l-is placed. Ata proper distance within the chamber, and adjacent the door end thereof,are provided the flues L, connecting with the drums M, and havingbetween the drums and furnace the dampers N. The drums are placedadjacent the corners of the chamber, and are connected at their ends bythe flues P, wherein are provided the dampers R, with the ends of thedrums S placed in the opposite corners of the chamber, and connectedwith the furnace H by the fines T, wherein. are provided the dampers N.The drums are about equally distanced from each other. The drums S arelarger than the drums M, so as to contain a greater amount of heat,

and are connected by the flues V wit-h the smoke-conduit \V. Thisarrangementis for the purpose of equalizing the heat in the lower partof the chamber, since, the heat being more intense adjacent theflues L,the drums M would evolve more heat than the drums S; therefore thelatter are enlarged, and also provided with the flues V to increase thesurface evolving heat, and thus equalize it throughout the chamber. Thisresult may also be accomplished by constructing the drums of similarsize and increasing the relative size of the dues adjacent the drums S,the object being to make the surface evolving heat so much larger in therear than the front portion of.

the chamber that the excess shall compensate for the intenser degreeadjacent the door of the furnace, and thus produce an equality ofcaloric evolved from the heating apparatus.

The tobacco being suspended," as aforesaid,

a fire is started in the furnace H, and the dampers being thrown openthe whole device is soon heated. The hot air rising from'the' furnace,drums, pipes, and flues passes through the tobacco, and thence directlyout of the ventilators E, which, being directly over the furnace, thenoxious gas and vapor are carried off at once, and before they have timeto impregnate the tobacco, which would not be the case were the furnaceand ventilators othertreatment much more readily than another,"

it sometimes becomes necessary to give to a part a longer treatment thanto the remainder. Under such circumstances all the dam p ers N areclosed, except that in the flue connecting the drum below that part ofthe tobacco to be additionally treated with the furnace. This causes thedrum to heat speedily, and effects the desired result without materiallyheating the other parts of the chain" her or necessitating the removalof the other leaf. Should the tobaccoto be additionally treated besituated over either of the drums S the dampers R are also closed. Thefire is made near the door end of the furnace, and should not extendbeyond the line a: or. Tobacco that has been cured in a dark-brown colormay be materially improved by the above process.

'What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is.

In a tobacco-drier the air-tight chamber A, provided with theventilators F placed directly above the furnaceH, in combination withthe drums M and S, placed as shown, the latter being larger than theformer, and the drumsprovement in processes for treating tobacco, asabove described, I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 27th day ofAugust, 1874.

- T. B.LY0N, JR. 1,. s.]

. Witnesses:

J. E; LYoN, I R. W. THOMAS.

